Electrical connector module with housings for receiving forwardly-inserted female contacts

ABSTRACT

The object of the invention is an electrical connector module comprising housings ( 16 ) for receiving forwardly-inserted female contacts ( 18 ), each contact comprising a forward cage ( 20 ) and a rear blade ( 24 ) provided with pins ( 26 ) to be crimped on a flexible circuit ( 12 ). The object of the arrangement according to the present invention is to permit a forward mounting of the contact with an immobilization in its housing.

The present invention concerns an electrical connector module withhousings for receiving forwardly-inserted contacts. These contacts arefemale contacts.

This electrical connector module is also adapted to be introduced into amodule-carrier.

The female contacts comprise a body with a cage at the front and a bladeat the rear. This blade carries pins to be seated on the flexiblecircuit.

This module is equipped with a moveable flap, known generally butdescribed according to a preferred embodiment in a related applicationin the name of the same applicant. Such a flap assures a mechanicalblockage of the flexible circuit so as to prevent its tearing awayperpendicular to the crimpings during inadvertent pulling forces exertednot only on the connector but also on the cables themselves. This flapalso prevents peeling, that is to say delaminating of the sheetsconstituting the flexible circuit, as well as transmission ofundulations via the flexible circuit, which would also tend to damagethe crimpings.

During operation of the connector assembly, this flap is advantageouslyarranged to assume three fully-defined angular positions, one being asmanufactured for insertion of the contacts, another being a deliveryposition for insertion of the flexible circuit into the modules, and thelast, completely lowered, being closure of the flap effectedsimultaneously with the operation of crimping the flexible circuit onthe blades of the contacts.

The flexible circuits described above, more generally designated “flex”in the connector field, are sheets formed of a complex of layers ofinsulating material between which are built up wiring lines ofconductive material constituting both conductors and contacts for thesecircuits.

These conductive wiring lines are protected and electrically insulated.

Such flexible circuits are used in the case of multiple contacts to bedisposed in a small clearance, and to be rejoined at the point of exitas they were upon arrival.

The width and thickness of the wiring lines determines the conductivecapacity, which in turn leads to dispose, on a same flexible circuit andin a same connector, contacts of varying dimensions. Nevertheless, forpurposes of simplifying the present description, the wiring lines andcontacts have the same dimensions.

The numerous advantages of these flexible circuits have led designers touse them more and more, especially in the automotive industry.

In practice, the connection of the set of contacts is effected in asingle operation, by crimping after insertion of the flexible circuitinto the connector. Generally, locking means assure in a complementarymanner the mechanical retention of the sheet in the said connector.

There remains the problem of inserting the contacts into the module andthe present invention proposes an appropriate response by resorting toan arrangement which permits insertion of the contacts forwardly with alocking that prevents the retraction of each of these contacts out oftheir housing.

To that end, the electrical connector module comprises housings forreceiving forwardly introduced contacts, and is characterized in thateach housing has the shape of a truncated pyramid with a clearanceangle, and in that each contact comprises bosses on the cage forimmobilization and suppression of gap.

There is also provided at least one retention catch so as to assure animmobilization in the forward/reverse direction.

This module according to the present invention is also adapted to beintroduced into a module-carrier, and it comprises to that endsnap-locking means.

The present invention will now be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings, which correspond to a preferred but non-limitingembodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show:

FIG. 1, a perspective view of an electrical connector module accordingto the present invention,

FIG. 2, a perspective view partially broken-away of this same module,

FIG. 3A, a perspective view of a contact provided with retaining means,

FIG. 3B, a perspective view of a contact of greater width,

FIGS. 4A and 4B, a sectional view of a housing receiving a contactprovided with retaining means and a sectional view but in aperpendicular plane, and,

FIG. 5, a perspective view of a module according to the presentinvention inserted into a module-carrier.

In FIG. 1, there is shown the contact-carrying electrical connectormodule 10, as well as a flexible circuit 12 about to be mounted.

The module 10 comprises a body 14 with housings 16 adapted to receivecontacts 18, in this case female contacts.

Each contact 18 comprises a forward portion forming a cage 20, atransitional zone 22, and a rear blade 24, provided with pins 26 to becrimped, as is best seen in FIGS. 2, 3A and 3B.

The preferred embodiment of this module body is described in a detailedmanner in a related application in the name of the same applicant.

Apart from the body 12, an important component is the means forrestraining the flexible circuit, which comprise a flap 28, which pivotsabout an axis 30, with a tongue/groove assembly 32 adapted to generatean offset portion in the flexible circuit and to mechanically immobilizethis latter upon lowering the flap. Such a position is shown in detailin FIG. 5.

It will be noted that this flap comprises a window 34 which permitsassuring the criming of the pins on the flexible circuit, simultaneousto the lowering motion of the flap, through the said window. Thiscrimping is obtained by means of a tool adapted to the type of pins, andwhose manufacture is within the capability of the skilled artisan.

The problem of mounting the contacts 18 in the housing 16 is solved bycharacteristics of the contact and characteristics of the housing.

Specifically, the housing 16 has the shape of a truncated pyramid, witha clearance angle of slight slope, on two opposed faces among the fourfaces.

The large base is the inlet for connection of the housing and thishousing narrows from the front to the rear.

Moreover, each cage 20 of each female contact 18 is provided with bosses36 which come to bear on the walls in facing relation of this housingwith a clearance angle as is shown in the section of FIG. 4A.Consequently, the bosses 36 are present facing and perpendicularlybearing on non-parallel walls.

Moreover, this same cage carries at least one retention catch 38,disposed in the perpendicular plane and visible in FIG. 4B. Each catchis dimensioned and disposed so as to cooperate with the wall 40 of thehousing when the contact is completely inserted. In this case, thecatches come into contact on the two opposing surfaces, other than thosefacing the bosses 36. The two surfaces receiving the catches 38 areparallel. The number of catches is variable as a function of the type ofcontact and for a contact of large dimensions, as shown in FIG. 3B, itis suitable to provide two pairs.

In the preferred embodiment, the catches are disposed at the rear of thecage 20, whereas the bosses are positioned forwardly.

The contact is thus immobilized, without gap, in the housing via supporton the walls of this housing in the transverse direction and by couplingin the direction of forward/reverse retraction. The bosses 36 alsoparticipate in retaining the contact in its housing.

It is specifically necessary that the contact be maintained in itshousing up to the crimping operation.

For the security of the retention, it is provided to dispose an abutment41 rearwardly of each contact. The contact is lodged in the housingupstream of this abutment by the relative dimensions of the contact andof the housing. Thus, when a pulling force might be exerted on thecontact, the contact is forced rearwardly into the housing up to theabutment, the resisting force being calculated to safeguard theintegrity of the electrical connection until abutment occurs.

Once the module 10 is itself inserted into a module-carrier 42, it isverified that the contacts 18 also remain accessible from the front, soas to permit the connection. It is thus necessary to retain thesecontacts in their respective housings, at the level of the module,during disconnection or during an accidental pulling force on the modulecarrier.

The module and the module carrier are equipped with means 44 forsnap-locking of the module into the module-carrier. In FIG. 1, only oneof the two elastic locks is visible, each provided to cooperate with anopening arranged in the module-carrier.

It will also be noted that the shape with clearance angle of the housingpermits generating a progressive insertion force of the contact into thehousing during its positioning. Moreover, after complete insertion, eachcontact is force-fitted such that no gap remains, contrary to themountings of the prior art.

There nevertheless remains a safeguard in the case of significantpulling force prior to coming in contact with the abutment 41.

In the case of a substantial pulling force, the module is forciblyextracted from the module-carrier and it is this connection which servesas the weak link to safeguard the electrical connection, even if thelocking by the tongue/groove on the flexible circuit would beinsufficient.

Such an arrangement permits facilitating the mounting of contacts on theone hand, while safeguarding the electrical connection even in the caseof a substantial pulling force, on the other hand.

1. Electrical connector module comprising housings each for receiving aforwardly-inserted female contact, characterized in that each femalecontact comprises a forward cage, wherein each cage comprises bosses forimmobilizing and preventing gap, by exerting forces perpendicular to awall of the said housing, wherein each cage carries at least oneretention catch so as to assure an immobilization in the forward/reversedirection in the housing, wherein the bosses are located proximate afirst end of the cage and the at least one retention catch is locatedproximate a second opposite end of the cage longitudinally spaced fromthe bosses along a length of the cage.
 2. Electrical connector modulecomprising housings each for receiving a forwardly-inserted femalecontact, characterized in that each housing has the shape of a truncatedpyramid with a clearance angle and in that each female contact compriseson its cage bosses for immobilizing and preventing gap, by exertingforces perpendicular to a wall of the said housing characterized in thatthe truncated pyramid shape of each housing is at a slight clearanceangle on only two opposite surfaces which receive the immobilizationbosses.
 3. Electrical connector module according to claim 1,characterized in that it comprises means for snap-locking in amodule-carrier.
 4. Electrical connector module according to claim 1,characterized in that each housing has a contact receiving area with ashape of a truncated pyramid with a clearance angle.
 5. Electricalconnector module according to claim 1, characterized in that eachretention catch is disposed facing parallel opposing surfaces of eachhousing.
 6. Electrical connector module according to claim 5,characterized in that each retention catch is disposed downstream of thesaid contact.
 7. Electrical connector module according to claim 1,characterized in that each female contact comprises in addition to theforward cage, a rear blade, provided with pins to be crimped on aflexible circuit and, and the electrical connector module furthercomprises means for retaining the flexible circuit when the pins arecrimped on the flexible circuit.
 8. Electrical connector moduleaccording to claim 7, characterized in that the retaining means comprisea flap which is pivotable about an axis with a tongue/groove assemblyadapted to generate an offset portion in the flexible circuit and toimmobilize the offset portion of the flexible circuit upon lowering theflap.
 9. An electrical connector module comprising: a housing having acontact receiving area; a female contact forwardly-inserted into thecontact receiving area of the housing, wherein the female contactcomprises a forward cage, wherein the cage comprises bosses forimmobilizing and preventing gap of the cage in the housing by exertingforces perpendicular to a wall of the housing, wherein the cage carriesat least one retention catch immobilizing the cage in the housing inforward and reverse directions, wherein the bosses are located proximatea first end of the cage and the at least one retention catch is locatedat a second opposite end of the cage longitudinally spaced from thebosses along a length of the cage, and wherein walls of the contactreceiving area contacting the bosses are angled relative to each other.